School reform plan may be pulled back to Senate Education Committee for changes

The controversial school reform plan proposed by state schools Supt. Tom Luna could be pulled back to committee for changes, Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde said this afternoon. Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, met with representatives of three stakeholder groups today - the Idaho Education Association, the Idaho Association of School Administrators, and the Idaho School Boards Association - and the group came up with a long list of questions, problems and technical fixes for the package. "We went through each bill section by section," Goedde said. "It's not too late. ... We could have the bills that are out there right now returned to committee."

The meeting between Goedde and the stakeholder group stretched for more than six hours - from 7 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., with one break. Goedde said of possibly pulling the bills back from the Senate - where they otherwise could be up for a vote this week - "I suggested that it might be a positive step, and I received support from leadership."

Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, said, "We're very amenable to that. We want to get it right." The move comes as 10 rallies across the state today are drawing strong turnout from opponents of the plan.